


Incessant

by FishEyenoMiko



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Accidents, Canon Disabled Character, Community: hc_bingo, Community: kink_bingo, Disability, Friendship, Frustration, Gen, Male Friendship, Science Boyfriends, Tears, Undressing, Walking Canes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:39:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FishEyenoMiko/pseuds/FishEyenoMiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann's physical limitations frustrate him to tears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Incessant

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: [AvatarMN](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarMN)  
> Written for [kink_bingo](http://kink-bingo.dreamwidth.org/).  
> Also written for [hurt/comfort bingo](http://hc-bingo.dreamwidth.org/).

Dr. Newton Geiszler sighed with relief. After a long week at the university, it was nice to be home. He had some papers to look over, but that was minor stuff; for one thing, it didn't involve people. The only person he had to deal with for the next few days was Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, his... he wasn't sure, actually... Friend? Boyfriend? Whatever.

Closing the door to their apartment, Newt refrained from calling out. He quietly headed to the kitchenette; he really needed a beer.

Newt stopped short as he entered the dining area of the kitchenette. Hermann was sitting on the floor, sobbing. His cane was close by, but the haphazard way it was laying, and his own awkward position, suggested a fall. 

Newt ran over, dropping to the floor next to Hermann.

"Hermann!" 

He took hold of Hermann's shoulders, and tried to meet his eyes.

"Hermann, are you okay?"

Newt was puzzled; Hermann had fallen before, and usually was able to shake it off. Hell, a few time he'd managed to joke about it. So why was this different?

Hermann began babbling; between him crying and occasionally speaking German, Newt found him nearly incomprehensible.

"Herm, I can't understand damn word you're saying..." He smiled fondly at him. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up..."

Hermann didn't fight as Newt got him to his feet and half-walked, half-dragged him to his bathroom.

Carefully sitting Hermann on the toilet, Newt got out a hand towel, wetting it in the sink. He carefully wiped Hermann's face.

Hermann sat quietly, letting himself get taken care of. He was shaking and sniffling, and was clearly still upset, but he had calmed down a bit.

"There, that's better," said Newt, smiling as he gently brushed Hermann's bangs down onto his forehead.

"I want to go to bed..."

Newt decided not to mention how early it was.

"Yeah, okay..." he looked around. "Oh, sorry, let me go get your cane. You going to be okay here by yourself?"

"I'm _not_ a child," Hermann said. 

"Well, fuck me for caring," Newt snapped back, getting to his feet. He saw Hermann tense up, and immediately felt a twinge of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Herm... You know me, my mouth sometimes runs faster than my brain. I'll go get your cane."

 

Hermann lowered himself onto his bed. Newt stood beside him, making sure he was all right. As soon as Hermann was sitting down, with his bad leg resting on the bed, he began to struggle to get his sweater vest off. He tugged a few times, before letting out a huff.

"Stupid bloody clothes..."

"Want me to help?"

Hermann's arms dropped to his sides, he bent over with a defeated moan. He looked about ready to start crying again.

"C'mon, let me help you," said Newt, reaching down to help pull Hermann's sweater off. Hermann held his arms up to make it easier. 

After the sweater, Newt unbuttoned Hermann's shirt. As he reached down to pull them out of his pants, a thought occurred to him. 

"Want your pants--er, trousers--off, too?"

"Yeah," said Hermann, undoing his belt as he spoke.

"Okay," said Newt. He finished taking Hermann's shirt off, then reached to undo his fly.

"I can undo my own trousers," Hermann grumbled, pulling Newt's hand away.

"Just trying to help..." Newt smiled. "Besides, it's not like this would be the first time I-" he noted Hermann's glare and fell silent, but allowed himself to smirk a bit.

"I can manage," replied Hermann irritably.

"Okay," said Newt, standing up.

Hermann undid his pants, then lay back to pull them off. He was clearly having difficulty with them, and while he managed to get them down to his thighs, he seemed stuck there. He struggled with them a few times, trying to pull them down over his stiff, painful leg. After a few tries, Newt leaned down.

"Seriously, Herm, let me help-"

"I will not be treated like a fucking useless cripple!" Letting go of his pants, Hermann covered his face as he burst into tears again.

Newt stepped back, stunned. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard Hermann swear before. But it wasn’t just the swearing; there was also the horrid, self-loathing words and defeatist tone in Hermann's voice.

"Useless? You think you're...?" Newt sat down, pulling Hermann's hands away from his face. Hermann's eyes where bloodshot, and his face was red and blotchy and tear-stained. Newt leaned down, resting a hand on Hermann's cheek.

"You're not useless, you idiot. For fuck's sake, you helped save the WORLD. Or have you just completely forgotten about that amongst all the things you've achieved _since then_?"

Hermann let out a laugh. "No. I just... it gets so... _frustrating_."

"I know..." said Newt earnestly. "I know, Hermann." 

This wasn't an empty platitude, either. When they had Drifted together in Hong Kong, Newt had been inside Hermann's head, and knew how much of a struggle life could be for the man.

"Let me help you get your pants off, okay?"

Hermann nodded. 

Newt carefully pulled Hermann's pants off, taking extra care with his right leg, then folded them up on Hermann's dresser.

"When did you last take any pain meds?"

"During our morning med session at breakfast." 

"You should take some more," said Newt. "And don't say you're fine, we both know that if you skip your evening meds you spend all night cranky... besides, add the fall you had into all that, and it'll be even worse tonight."

There was a pause, then Hermann groaned.

"I hate it when you're right."

Newt smiled.

"Let me go get 'em. Need water?" While they had both mastered dry-swallowing meds, they usually preferred to have something to drink with them.

Hermann nodded. "I'm a bit parched, at any rate."

"Okay."

 

Newt came back into Hermann's bedroom. He had Hermann's pills in his pants pocket and was carrying a large glass of water in one hand. In the other hand he had a box of tissues, and there was a clean, wet towel draped over his bare forearm. 

Hermann was lying in bed. He'd draped his sheet over his waist, and partially over his legs. This didn't surprise Newt; despite the intimacy of their relationship, Hermann could be modest and stand-offish at times.

Dropping the tissue box at about Hermann's hip, he took the towel and held it out to him. 

"Here. It's nice and warm; it'll make you feel better."

Sitting up, Hermann accepted the cloth and wiped his face, then folded it over and pressed it to his face for a few moments. Then he used a few tissues to blow his nose.

As Hermann did this, Newt sat down on the other side of the bed. As soon as Hermann was ready, Newt handed him his pill bottle and the water.

"Thanks," said Hermann as he took his meds. He slid back, leaning against the headboard.

"You don't wanna lie down?"

Hermann shook his head. "I'm feeling a little better. I'll rest a bit, but I think I might get some more writing done before bed."

Newt smiled. He pulled out his phone.

"How 'bout I get us some pizza? I'm not up for cooking tonight. "

"That's hardly new..."

"Oh, you're one to talk," Newt shot back good-naturedly as he looked up the number to their usual pizza place. "The usual?"

Hermann smiled. "Sounds good."


End file.
